Prayer: Father, the sign of Immanuel was and is the greatest sign ever given to mankind. Isaiah delivered the message; Ahaz received the message and the world received Immanuel. Thank You for Your gift to all humanity. Amen.
Reading: Isaiah 7 key: vs. 13-16 “Then he said, “Hear now, house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men? Will you also weary my God? Therefore Adonai Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive. When she is giving birth to a son, she will call his name Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey by the time he knows to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy knows to refuse evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.” TLV
Attention: A king was the first told of the prophecy of the birth of Immanuel. The significance of the name, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).”
In America, many families name a child after a family member to honor that family member. A more current trend has been to see parents name a child by creating a unique spelling of an existing name. With a mix of cultures, names also represent their various faiths.
In Hebrew culture, the name always had meaning and in some cases like the prophecy of Isaiah, the name was God given. There was a duality contained in the Isaiah prophecy. According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (HIBD), “Recent study has pointed to Ahaz’s wife as the woman expected to bear the child and show that God was still with the Davidic royal dynasty even in the midst of severe threat from Assyria (pg.809).” The problem I see with this interpretation, is that the prophetic announcement was about a “virgin will conceive.” Being that Ahaz and his wife were married, virginity was pre-empted. She would be disqualified as the instrument by which God would use to bring Emmanuel to earth.
The second “double meaning” according to HIBD is, “The Assyrian army would flood the land until Judah was up to its neck in trouble and could only cry out, “O Immanuel”; a cry confessing that God is with us in His destructive rage but at the same time a prayer, hoping for divine intervention.” This interpretation is accurate as we typically cry out when we are neck deep in trouble, like Judah. In those moments, we too confess God is with us or please be with us.
As we approach the Christmas season, we will hear the name Immanuel. May we reflect, embrace, and thank God for Immanuel, “God with us!”
Action: I choose to embrace the reality of God with us, Immanuel.
Yield: I choose to submit to the reality of God’s presence with me, Immanuel.
Engage: I choose to engage with the Holy Spirit in embracing, God with us.
Relationship: I choose to live in intimate relationship with God, Immanuel.
Prayer: Father, such a simple reality found in the name You gave Your only Son, Yeshua Messiah, Immanuel. Thank You for the reality of Your presence. Amen.
Memory Verse: Matthew 1:22-23 “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by Adonai through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” TLV
Music Video: Joshua Aaron—Immanuel https://youtu.be/Dl5iPXltMH4?si=hotU8Gw8I3XLT1ra
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”